Katie Phillips
Co-Features Editor

Members of the Illinois Council of Students (ICS) lobbied in front of state legislators intending to advance their platform of equality in the Illinois educational system, Tuesday, May 12.

New Trier senior Matt McCambridge, ICS president, and Morgan Park High School senior Brandon Saunders, ICS Vice president, testified to a senate committee on higher education in the hopes of passing a three-proposal policy. This policy seeks to further improve Illinois’ early childhood schooling, the professional development and effectiveness of hired teachers, and the funding structure of the educational system.

“After a lot of research and discussion at meetings, our council decided that these [were] the improvements that would have the biggest impact on education quality throughout Illinois,” David Walchak, Lobbying Committee head of the ICS and sophomore at New Trier High School, said.

According to Walchak, lobbying in Springfield has been one of the council’s goals since its formation in 2008. The club was founded after the Chicago Public Schools’ (CPS) protest in front of New Trier Sept. 2. Of the current 25 student board members of ICS, five executive board members, along with South senior Conor Hart and junior Peter Riley, participated in the event, which took place in the state’s capitol building.

According to Saunders, ICS was given the attention for which they had hoped, and both senators and state representatives were receptive to the policy-improvement requests.

“We accomplished every single goal that we had in mind when we went down there,” Saunders said. “Regardless of what happens, ICS has changed the minds of many people in Springfield.” According to Saunders, those goals included presenting their platform and policy suggestions to respective legislators regarding matters of education funding and reform.

Most importantly, the ICS wanted to be taken seriously and have the legislators’ full attention. After being recognized by Senator James Meeks, the students received a standing ovation on the senate floor.

“This is a group that came together on their own, students that got together and said that they wanted to solve this problem,” Meeks said.

The overall outcome of the event depends on any changes that are considered, as well as the potential passing of Bill SB-750, which would provide additional funding for the development of greater quality of education and equality among Illinois’ schooling system. However, according to Riley, ICS will remain intact in the future until a change is made.

“Going down there and just giving our two cents isn’t enough for us,” Saunders said. “We [will] keep at this school funding issue until we see change.”